Professor Pearce is currently Director of the International Centre: Researching Child Sexual Exploitation, Violence and Trafficking at Bedfordshire and was Director of the Institute of Applied Social Research at the University between 2006 and 2013.

She has been leading the University's pioneering research into child sexual exploitation, which was last year recognised with the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education – the highest form of national recognition open to higher and further education institutions in the UK.

Professor Pearce said: “I’m delighted to receive this honour. My research with partner agencies and with young people focuses on factors surrounding child exploitation and aims to prioritise the voice of the child and raise awareness of their experiences.

"Progress in this field has been made through working with young people and colleagues in academia, government and supporting agencies to advance theory, policy and practice. But much more work needs to be done to continue developing strategies to safeguard children and young people. This honour will reinforce our efforts to continue this important work."

The University’s Vice Chancellor Bill Rammell said: “On behalf of the University, I add my congratulations to Jenny on this richly-deserved award. She has led pioneering research into child sexual exploitation over several years and her OBE is testament to the passion she has for her work and the true value it is adding to society.

“Jenny’s pivotal role in driving research in child exploitation was a fundamental factor in the University of Bedfordshire being awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in November 2013, and her honour adds further recognition for the high calibre academics based at Bedfordshire for their teaching and ground-breaking research work in social sciences.”